Curiosity Kills
by KristineDaae
Summary: Celaena has heard stories of the darkness that lurks in the shadows of the Opera house but she's more intrigued than scared. She doesn't want to meet the infamous Opera Ghost but when at last they do meet her conflicted feelings about him make it difficult to focus on much else. Rated M for possible Mature Material in the Future.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I hope you all love this beginning to a new story! Please Rate/Review! :) Thank you so much**

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I _should_ be glad.

I _should_ be glad that my mother had secured a place for me in the Palais Garnier boarding house before she had gotten too sick and I_ should_ be honored that Madame Giry had taken a liking in me although I had only been in the Opera house for two weeks.

However, I did not feel honored. I felt home-sick and I missed my Mom and was angry at her for dying and leaving me here all alone. I was tired of doing pliés and my calves hurt and most of all I was bored.I knew I should be thankful for everything the universe had blessed me with but I was not.

All of the ballet girls have been very nice. And talkative. Too talkative for my liking but I just smile and shake my head and try to fit in. This was my life now, ballet rat in one of the finest Opera houses in the world. So I smiled through it all and tried to make friends, but they were not who I turned to for solace.

My favorite place in the Opera house was not the stage or even my cozy room, which thankfully I was able to have all to myself as Madame Giry thought it would be good for me to have some alone time so I wouldn't be in shock. No- my favorite room in the whole Opera house was the small library where I spent most of my free time cooped up with a romance novel and dreaming that I was off somewhere with a Russian hottie.

Many of the stage hands have taken interest in me and I know I should show more interest in them seeing as I am already 17 and of marriageable age, but they don't know that my 5'7 skinny-yet-curvy-for-a-ballet-rat body is nothing but a hollow shell. None of them interest me anyways. It's not special if a man looks at you the same way they look at everyone else.

I wandered around the Opera house and reveled in the thought that it was Friday and that I had tomorrow off. Knowing exactly what I would spend tomorrow doing. I had heard stories of the Opera house having rooms hidden inside walls and this intrigued me. I had also heard stories of the Opera ghost but he did not sound like any one I wanted to meet while I was alive. So I was going to have to be stealth in my adventures. I had found an old and worn map of the interior of the Opera house in the top drawer of my dresser that had been all marked up. I hadn't thought anything of it at the time until of course I realized that the markings resembled doorways and hallways that weren't visible to the average eye. My heart race as the thought ran through my mind. I wasn't going to be able to handle this anticipation all through the night. I would have to go tonight deep in the dark when every one was asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's chapter 2!**

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After dinner I went straight to my room. I had stolen some trousers and a top from the servants quarters so none of my dresses would get dirty and cause suspicion.

I had just finished pulling together some supplies I thought I might need when a knock caused my heart to skip a beat. Afraid of what it would look like if someone had seen the rope, lantern, matches, and servants clothes on my bed I quickly threw the covers over them and tried to appear casual.

I cleared my throat "Who is it?"  
A soft voice came back to me "It's Meg and Amelia, let us in!"

Rolling my eyes I tossed everything from my bed and into the top drawer of the dresser opening up the drawer and letting them both into my room. Their eyes were filled with excitement. Meg looked me up and down.

"Celaena you need to change! Hurry, get into your night gown and grab a coat!"

What in the world was she talking about. It was half past eleven already and I couldn't understand why I'd need a coat at this late of night

"Are you crazy!?" I said back in the same hushed whisper they had used.

"Just hurry!" Amelia laughed back at me.

I had a feeling whatever they had planned would be frowned upon by Madame Giry. Not that I was really too worried. A rush of excitement fell over me as the two girls helped me out of my day-wear and into my night gown. I threw my coat and slippers on and grabbed my lantern carefully from my dresser.

After I was all assembled Meg clasped my hand into hers and both of the girls gestured to be quiet for the rest of the journey. They let us out through one of the servant hallways and into the dark, cool air outside. I pulled my coat tighter around me. I was not a huge fan of the dark but the stars and the full moon above us soothed me.

Meg led to a part of the garden that lay just outside the Opera house and gestured to a small tree.

"You're going to have to follow me, Amelia will trail behind you since this is your first time."

Confused as ever I was about to ask her what in Gods name Amelia would need to trail behind me for when I saw meg lift herself onto the first limb of the tree with a ballet dancers strength and jump from that branch onto the branch of a bigger tree behind it.

I looked at her with wide eyes "Why couldn't you have told me you were all crazy to begin with! We would have gotten along so much faster."

"Come on everyone's waiting" She laughed.

Not needing a second invitation I pulled my self up and over the trees until Meg jumped off of one and I followed her. She crawled beneath a hedge and disappeared and I ducked under the hedge wiggling to the other side.

When I finally made it past the hedge I realized what Meg had meant about people waiting for us. All the ballet rats sat near a small fire near a beautiful pond which if Meg hadn't known it's location I would have never found by myself.

"Took you long enough" Kitty the red head ballet rat joked. I sat in the circle and Amelia and Meg joined close to me handing me a twig from one of the trees. Another dancer tossed me a marshmallow to roast. "Welcome to the club she smiled."

After we had all had our fill of marshmallows and sweets that would have made Madame Giry have a heart attack on the spot if she saw us eating we shared secrets and told stories about the stage hands, especially the particularly attractive one Fernando. I laughed so hard I cried and for the first time I actually felt happy to be here and I felt glad to be a part of this close-knit family. I knew us twelve girls would only get closer.

Their eyes got wide when I asked them what they knew of the mysterious Opera ghost. Raina, a brunette with really long eyelashes and doe eyes whispered as if she were about to tell a scary story, "Well I'll tell you what I know."

The girls got situated around her as she dove into a story.

"I saw him once- as I was changing into costume for one of the masquerade celebrations Carlotta must have done something to upset him. Oh he loathes that woman."

"Who doesn't" Kitty chimed in.

Snorting Raina continued "Anyways a sandbag fell from one of the rafters just inches away from her. Of course she threw a fit and while everyone else was screaming I for some reason felt the urge to look up and when I did I saw a white orb of a face looking back at me."

"You fainted right after that too if I recall correctly" Meg teased

"I still think it could have just been a stage light clouding your vision anyway" Said Amelia

"I know what I saw" Raina replied her face pale.

"Will everyone stop being so lame" Kitty said darting up with enthusiastic energy. "I want to go swimming."  
I had only been swimming a couple times but I loved it when I had the chance, and I knew I would swim if I wasn't the only one tonight.

"You're going to get hypothermia." Replied a brunette with freckles splattered on her nose.

"Well at least I'll have had fun getting it" Kitty laughed throwing of her night gown. A flush grew over my face and I looked away. I knew it hadn't been anything I hadn't seen before in the dressing rooms but for some reason out of the Opera house it all felt improper. She ran and jumped into the water creating a splash and I bit my lip.

"I'm going in." I smiled devilishly at Meg.

"You're kidding, nobody ever goes in besides Kitty."

Soon we were all in the water with our nightgowns discarded on the shore. As we crept back into our rooms that night I was so thankful they had let me go with them to something so fun and meaningful and quickly fell asleep upon my pillow.

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**A/N Wow! This was a longer chapter than expected! Not all the chapters will be this long. I hope every one is enjoying this story as much as I am so far! Please Rate/Review :) Thank you so much for taking the time to read!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N The story is just getting into the swing of things and will start picking up with the actual plot line now. Without further ado here's chapter three. Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated. **

Chapter 3:

The light from my window woke me up the next morning. My hair was matted against my head and my eyes were puffy. As I yawned getting out of bed I looked at the window and realized it was already past noon. Quickly brushing my hair and throwing it into the bun I went into the kitchen and grabbed a small loaf of bread, an apple, and filled a canteen with water. Eating the bread on the way back to my room I realized that if I wanted to explore the hidden hallways I'd have to go right then, although the risks were definitely greater now that it was light outside.

I threw my supplies into the bag and quickly put on the servants clothes. Looking at the map I noticed probably one of the easiest ways to get into the hidden tunnels was through the basement under the stage where the majority of our scenery and props were stored. I would have to be quick so I wouldn't be seen on the way there but I knew I could manage if I stayed in the shadows. I glanced both ways out my door before walking frisky down the hallway and a flight of stairs to the stage; holding my breath the whole way.

Once I was there I lifted the door to the basement and pulled out my lantern, using one hand to guide myself down the ladder and into the darkness bellow. When I reached the bottom I was immensely glad for my lantern; if I didn't have it with me I would have been completely consumed by darkness. I could only see a couple feet in front of me; goosebumps grew on my arms and a chill ran through my spine at the thought that someone could be standing right next to me and I wouldn't know it. I followed the basement wall all the way to the left until I found the crack that was listed on the map. Putting my hand into the crack I pulled lightly towards me.

A gasp escaped my lips as that whole section of the wall fell in, creating a tiny gap I could squeeze through. My subconscious was screaming at me "_You shouldn't be here!" _But I knew I was far too invested to turn back now so I pressed my back into the wall and shimmied onward despite the butterflies in my stomach and the persistent urge to pee myself. The hallways slowly opened up creating more space so I could easily make my way through it.

The stone walls were covered with moss and cobwebs and the air smelled stale; it was as though this secret passageway hadn't been journeyed through in many, many years. The sound of a pebble falling to the ground made me stop and hold my breath as a thousand thoughts ran through my head; none of them pleasant. Convincing myself I was just imagining things I pressed on down a staircase and through many twists and turned before the tunnel opened up at the foot of an under ground lake.

I was amazed at the beauty looking at my reflection in the Chrystal clear water. I could see the different colored rocks all the way to the center of the rock. I was in complete zen; transformed with the beauty of the place. Which was why I didn't expect to see a white mask in the lake's reflection floating right beside me; and why my heart stopped when his musical voice whispered menacingly in my ear "You've made a huge mistake by being here." His hand closed a foul smelling cloth over my nose and mouth and the darkness quickly descended over me.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Sorry I haven't posted in a while! I'm currently in my first year of college and it's such an adventure! Thank you so much ****RedDeathLvr**** and ****Dragonett8 for your support and comments. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! :)**

Chapter 4

When I woke up the next morning Madame Giry's face was lingering over mine causing me to jump. Her hand pressed against my forehead and she tsked at me while frowning.

"Do you have any idea what would have given you this fever and caused you to sleep through my dance class today?" She said with her eyebrows stitched together.

I gulped genuinely afraid. I was about to pull the covers closer to me to hide the servant clothes when I realized that I had been changed into a nightgown. I looked into Madame Giry's eyes to try and account for how much she truly knew but the cold blue-grey depths revealed nothing. My mouth felt unnaturally dry and my head spun as I tried to think of what I could say. Madame Giry handed me a glass of water and I took a long sip recalling what I could remember of the events that had happened before I blacked out. I knew she was still waiting for an answer but I didn't have one to give.

"What time is it?" I asked instead.

Her frown deepened. "It's about five in the afternoon."

I had been blacked out for close to twenty-four hours. My head felt hot and heavy and all I wanted was to lie down and close my eyelids again.

"I'm so sorry Madame Giry, I don't know what's come over me."  
She refilled my water cup and then stood up, smoothing her skirt.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again Celaena. If you are to ill to dance you must let one of the other girls know so I don't worry."

I could tell by the lines on her forehead that she had already been doing a lot of worrying even without me adding to her stress. I felt guilty suddenly for adding to her stress.

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"Yes Madame." I replied. She put a cool cloth on my head before leaving.

The next time I woke up from a splitting ache in my pain was so strong I had to curl up in a ball on my side. I was so upset that my journey into the secret caverns had given me nothing but an illness and an urge to see more of the secret world within the walls. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a folded piece of parchment on the nightstand that had not been there when Madame Giry had visited earlier. I pushed through my pain and lit the candle on my nightstand. I grabbed the parchment and untied the black ribbon that was delicately wrapped around it, my stomach lurched as I could only think of one person who would leave me a letter like this. My thoughts turned out to be right as I looked at the scrawled, intricate letters written in blood red ink on the yellowed and thick parchment.

"Prying ballet rat, Next time I see you sticking your nose where it does not belong I will not be so generous as to let you make it out alive. Do not make the mistake of lurking in the hidden corridors again."

It was signed by the Opera Ghost. Goose bumps crept up my arms but I was mostly angry. _It's not like I could anyways now that you stole my map_ I whispered bitterly under my breath. Perhaps a visit with the infamous Opera Ghost _was _needed. Who did he think he was telling me what I could and could not do. He was supposed to know everything. Didn't he know I had nothing to lose?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The next few weeks went by very quickly. It was a flurry of laughs and stretches and rehearsal after rehearsal. Although I still had an undying sense of loneliness, I grew closer to the girls and suddenly staying here didn't seem all too unbearable. As much as I tried, however, I couldn't fight against the feeling in my gut drawing me back to the hidden passageway beneath the stage. When the girls invited me to go to the library that night to take turns laughing over the steamy parts in our favorite books I declined and instead put on the servants' clothing that I had put on the last time I explored. Suddenly my stomach was filled with butterflies as I remembered the Opera Ghost's warnings, but I couldn't be afraid, I _had_ to see where these tunnels led.

With this in mind, I grabbed my lantern and made my way back down to where I had gotten into the tunnels the last time I had tried. I put my hand back into the crack on the wall, excitement bubbling through me, only to find that it wouldn't open. Frustrated, I pressed against it with all my might- a grunt escaping my lips, the wall didn't move. Now I was pissed. Not only was this "ghost" telling me I couldn't explore my own home, but he stole my map and had now blocked off the only entrance I knew of to getting into the inner-workings of the stage.

My mind wandered back to the story that Raina had told around the pond- about how the sandbags had nearly crushed Carlotta that time so long ago. I looked up above the stage. If the Opera Ghost _had_ dropped the sand-bags it would have had to have been from the catwalk above the stage, and if I was lucky, there may be another hidden entryway somewhere up there. I carefully scaled the later with one hand as I held my lantern with the other. I felt like the darkness could swallow me whole, it was so dark.

Once I made it to the catwalk I walked across the walkway, willing myself not to look down at the ground so far, far, really-freaking-far away. I didn't feel like my fear of heights was irrational- after all if I slipped from this height… _No, no don't think about it Celaena._ Keeping my head high I pushed back my feeling of fear and walked farther. Suddenly I heard a creak behind me farther down the catwalk. I wasn't alone.


End file.
